1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of pyrometallurgical furnaces, particularly for melting ore concentrates and for the aftertreatment of the melts, and is concerned with a sectionalized system of furnace walls in which the individual sections are readily removable for replacement.
2. Description of the prior Art
In previously described pyrometallurgical furnace systems such as those for melting fine-grained, sulfidic lead ore concentrates, and shown in German OS No. 29 35 394, FIGS. 4 and 5, the furnace walls in the area which comes into contact with the molten materials are composed of individual water boxes composed, for example, of copper and containing cooling channels in which cooling water is circulated. Due to the large cooling effect, a thin layer of slag freezes onto the inner surface of the water box and protects the same from corrosion due to the hot, corrosive slag bath. As a result of their size, the water boxes which extend over the entire height of the slag bath are relatively heavy and cumbersome. Replacement of the individual water boxes is only possible with a cold furnace because with a hot furnace the immediately adjacent water boxes which are rigidly clamped at their outside seize as a result of their thermal expansion. Even if the abutting surfaces of the horizontally adjacent water boxes were to be shaped conically, it would only be each second water box which would be directly detachable without the adjacent water boxes having to be previously detached.